Tent installation



July 17, 1962 R. w. AVERY 3,044,476

TENT INSTALLATION Filed Aug. 24, 1959 INVENTOR. RALPH W AVERY ATTORNEY United States Patent r 3,044,476 TENT INSTALLATION Ralph W. Avery, 1408 W. Colfax Ave., Denver, Colo. Filed Aug. 24, 1959, Ser. No. 835,494 6 Claims. (Cl. 1351) This invention relates to the construction and erection of tents, and more particularly relates to the construction and arrangement of one or a number of wall suspension units for a tent in order to accomplish the more efiicient and reliable installation thereof.

In erecting a tent, it is desirable to support the tent in upright position in such a way as to necessitate a minimal number of stakes or similar anchoring devices, to make the supporting thereof as flexible as possible thereby to allow the tent to shed snow and water readily and to withstand heavy Wind, and also to provide a support of high strength and which is adjustable in accordance with the size of the tent to prevent the possibility of collapse thereof under adverse weather conditions. It is further desirable to provide for connection of the supports to the fabric of the tent in such a way as to prevent the possibility of the initiation of tearing of the fabric at the place of connection, and in addition provides secure anchoring means both at the base of the tent and at the points of connection therealong.

It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide for an efiicient and reliable way of installing a tent in place with a minimum of effort and through the use of a minimal number of supporting units which offer increased flexibility and strength to the overall tent installation.

It is a further object to provide for an improved manner of anchoring and connection of the tent and wherein novel and improved means are employed for connection of the supports to the fabric of the tent to thereby minimize the possibility of tearing at the points of connection.

It is a still further object to provide for a way of installing a tent necessitating a minimum number of parts and yet which offers increased adjustability, flexibility and strength in the installation thereof so as to enable use of the tent under the most adverse weather conditions.

It is an additional object to provide for a novel and improved wall suspension means conformable for use With various types of tent constructions notwithstanding the slope of the walls and the overall size of the tent and which eliminates a number of parts previously considered essential in the erection thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken together with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of a preferred em bodiment of tent installation;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view partially in section of a preferred form of wall suspension unit, in accordance with the present invention; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged detail view partially in section illustrating the manner of connection of the wall suspension unit at one end of the tent.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown by way of illustrative example in FIGURE 1 a tent installation of the standard wall type having gable ends 12, pitched roof sections 14 together with vertical sidewalls 16 and a front, zippered door portion 18 to permit entry into the tent. Of course, the ten shown represents just one illustrative form of a tent construction and it will become evident that the features of the present invention are conformable for use with various types of tent constructions and in general any collapsible housing construction. Generally, tents of the standard wall type,

3,244,476 Patented July 17, 1962 as described, may be made of canvas with suitable reinforcement, not shown, provided at all strain points. Moreover, tents of this type may be provided with or without a canvas or other suitable forms of flooring so as to completely insulate the interior of the tent.

In accordance with the present invention, it is proposed to enable installation of a tent, such as the tent installation 10, in a rapid and dependable Way with the use of the least number of parts, andspecifically to minimize the number of stakes employed in anchoring the tent while providing for a resultant tent installation which is more flexible but securely supported so as to be capable of use under the most adverse conditions. To this end, side wall suspension units 20 are provided, each of which consists essentially of a wall support member, preferably in the form of an upright pole 22, an outwardly disposed anchor. stake 23, a guy line 24 connected to the anchor stake, the guy line being divided into a horizontal extension 25 and an angular extension 26. Fastenings are also provided to secure the horizontal and. angular extensions 25 and 26 of each guy line, to the sidewall of the tent through connection between the extensions and the top and bottom of each pole 22, as best seen in FIGURE 2. Preferably, the fastening means is defined at the bottom by a reinforced fabric strap 28 projecting outwardlyfrom the bottom of the tent, and the loop includes a grommet 29 at its outer end to hold the end of the horizontal extension 25 of the guy line along with an intermediate grommet 30 which is dimensioned to receive downwardly tapered end portion 31 of the bottom of the pole 22 so as to support the pole in spaced relation ofi the ground. To connect the strap to the bottom of the tent it will be seen that the innermost end thereof may be inserted between the canvas floor portion 32 and bottom strip 33 of the sidewalls 16 so that by means such as rivets orby sewing, the inner end is held securely between the bottom strip 33 and flooring 32. The inner end of the horizontal extension 25 may be fastened to the strap such as by passing the guy line through the grommet 29 then knotting the end thereof, or by providing the end of the guy line with a threaded metal fitting for disposition of a nut thereon once passed through the grommet.

The fastening means provided for connection of the angular extension 26 to the sidewalls 16 at the cave, adjacent the point of intersection of the sidewall 16 and pitched roof section 14, preferably consists of a fastening screw 35 which is looped at one end as at 36 to permit passage of looped end 26' of the angular extension therethrough and is threaded 'at the other end for projection through the fabric sidewall portion, as indicated at 37. In order to support the sidewall 16 in upright position at each point of connection, the top of the pole 22 is slotted as at 38 so that the intermediate portion of the fastening screw may be rested within the slot and thus establish interconnection between the pole and the sidewall of the tent. A feature of the present invention resides in the manner of reinforcing the sidewall so as to prevent tearing or separation of the fabric adjacent the point of entry of the screw therethrough. As will be noted, the sidewall may include a suitable strip of fabric 16' secured to the interior thereof along the points of projection of the screws, and each screw may be inserted through the double layer of fabric merely by separating the fabric and. working the screw therethrough, without use of the usual grommet. In order to hold the screw in place, rubberlike Washers 40 are positioned on the fastening screw to engage opposite surfaces of the sidewall together with backing members 41 preferably in the form of nuts to urge each of the rubberlike washers 40 into tight engagement with the fabric. Due to the frictional contact between the rubberlike washers and fabric surfaces, along with the inward pressure exerted by the backing members 41,.

separation or tea-ring of the fabric. This manner of connection has been found to be much more rapid yet effective and under continual use it is of course only necessary to replace the rubberlike washers 40 rather than to repair the tent itself.

In a well known manner, the angular extension 26 of the guy line is made adjustable through the use of an adjustable key 44 which has an intermediate gripping slot portion 45 for passage of the angular extension therethrough and an opening 46 at one end through which the end of theangular extension is passed and knotted for permanent connection. In this way loop portion 26 of the angular extension may be passed through the looped end of the fastening screw 35 by sliding the key down the length of the angular extension 26, then upon release, the edges of the slot 45 will frictionally engage the extension to securely hold [the loop 26' in place.

The guy lines 24- are preferably composed of a cable or rope material which are divided as described to form the extension members and with the common end or outer extremity thereof being secured to hook 23 of the anchor stake 23. Essentially, the guy line forms a generally triangular brace or truss with the upright pole 22 serving to exert a uniform outward pulling force holding the side Walls 16 securely in place. Thus, in addition to the nor mal angularly extending extension 26, the horizontal extension 25 also exerts the necessary restraint to prevent inward movement of the bottom of the tent and therefore eliminates the need for stakes along the bottom edge of the side wall to anchor it to the ground. It will also be noted that through the elimination of separate anchor points along the bottom of the tent that the arrangement as described will permit some lateral shifting and movement between the suspension units. This has been found to be of great advantage since the tent is given a flexibility that insures it against damage by sudden strains from wind or snow; for instance, heavy snowfall accumulating on the roof will merely bend the side walls inwardly between the suspension units and slide onto the ground. The recommended number of sidewall suspension units to employ in the erection of a tent will of course depend upon the size thereof and especially the length. For the purpose of illustration, however, with a standard wall type tent as shown having side walls 16 on the order of 9 feet, provision for three suspension units disposed along each side of the tent have been found to be entirely adequate to maintain the necessary support under the most adverse conditions. If required, additional units may be easily installed at evenly spaced intervals along the sides, preferably with one positioned at each of the corners as shown. In addition, the relative length of the guy line extensions may be governed so that each pair of extensions will exert a balanced pulling force along the top and bottom of the tent.

At each of the gable ends 12 a suspension unit 50 may be employed which is constructed and arranged essentially the same as the side wall suspension units 29. Of course, pole 52 for each end suspension unit must be of a greater length in accordance with the height of the tent and guy line 54 is similarly made of greater length, especially extensions 55 and 56 thereof. Although not forming a part of the present invention, it is preferred to employ a somewhat different manner of interconnection between the loop portion 56', pole S2 and the top of the end wall 12 due to the heavy strains imposed at these points. For this purpose, a strap or web 58 may be secured such as by rivets 59 to the top edge 14' of the roof section 14 and the web includes a grommet 60 at its distal end thereof to receive the looped end 56 of the angular extension 55. In order to fasten the top of the pole to the Web 58, end wall 12 is provided with a lip 62 which may be in the form ofa double layer of fabric and wherein the top layer thereof forms a continuation of the top edge 14. A fastening screw 64 may be inserted through the web 58 and lip portion 62, and the top of the pole S2 is in turn provided with a threaded bore portion 66 to receive one end of the screw. Again, to secure the fastening screw tightly in place so as to prevent tearing of the fabric, rubberlike washers 68 are positioned to engage opposed surfaces of the fabric and are urged into close ongagement by means of the head 69 of the fastening screw and nut 70, respectively.

The horizontal extension 55 together with the bottom of the pole 52 is fastened to the bottom of the tent by a web 72 similar 0 the web 28 employed along the bottom edges of the side walls 16. In addition, the end poles 52 may either be made of a standard length in accordance with the height of the tent or may be made adjustable if desired to facilitate the assembly operation.

To assemble and erect the tent in place, it is merely necessary to position the poles 22 and 52 into connection with the webs and fastening screws provided, then to connect the extensions of the guy lines 24 and 54 to the webs and fastener screws. Then, the outer, common ends of the guy lines may be secured to the hooks provided on the anchor stakes 2.3 and 53 followed by tightening of the keys. Of course, where the tent is provided with flooring it will become stretched as the guy lines are tightened, as will the entire roof section. In the absence of flooring, it may become desirable to provide the bottom portions of the poles 22 and 52 with stakes which may be anchored into the ground after passing through the grommets although, even in the absence of a flooring in the tent it has been found that the suspension units of the present invention will effectively hold the tent in place since the end and side walls will cooperate together to withstand the outward pull exerted by the horizontal extensions 25 and 55.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that there is provided a greatly improved fastening and suspension means for a tent offering increased strength of support, flexibility, together with the elimination of many parts and steps previously required in the installation of a tent. Also, it will be evident that the suspension assembly together with the fastening arrangement employed in accordance with the present invention is conformable for use notwithstanding the desired angular slope of the side walls since the horizontal extension will serve to hold the bottom edge securely in place and the angular extension may be adjusted in accordance with the angular disposition of the support poles.

It is to be understood that the specific construction and arrangement of many elements of the tent may be varied. For example, the poles 22 and 52 may either be of wood or metal, solid or tubular; also they may be pointed at the bottom as shown or positioned in place by means of an upstanding projection on the straps 28, in place of the grommets 30, to fit into an opening at the bottom of each pole. In addition, the manner of securing the fasteners 35 and 64 to the poles may be modified if desired; and, of course various other modifications and changes may be made in the materials, construction and arrangement of the present invention without departing from the scope thereof, as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A wall suspension unit for a tent and the like having at least one sidewall portion, said unit comprising an upright wall support member extending the substantial length of the sidewall, anchor means disposed in outward spaced relation to said wall support member, means connected to said anchor means including a generally horizontal extension and an angular extension, and fastening means disposed at the bottom and top of said wall support member serving to fasten the respective horizontal and angular extensions to the tent.

2. A wall suspension unit according to claim 1 wherein said extensions are adjustable in length relative to one another in accordance with the outward pulling force required to support the tent in upright position.

3. For use in the erection of tents and the like, a plurality of Wall suspension units extending along opposite sidewalls of the tent, each comprising an upright wall support member extending the substantial length of the sidewall, anchor means disposed in spaced relation to said well support member, a guy line connected to said anchor means including a horizontal extension and an angular extension, and fastening means secured to the bottom and top of said wall support member serving to interconnect the respective extensions of said guy line in vertical spaced realtion to the tent.

4. In a tent installation, the combination of a plurality of wall suspension units adapted for disposition along the walls of the tent, each unit comprising a Wall support member dimensioned in accordance with the height of the Walls thereof, anchor means disposed in spaced relation to each wall support member, a guy line connected to said anchor means including a horizontal extension and an angular extension, a bottom fastener interconnecting the bottom of the tent and horizontal extension of said guy line including means to support the bottom of each support member, and a top fastening screw projecting through the Walls of the tent for connection of each angular extension including reinforcing means thereon defined by a backing member and rubberlike washer disposed on opposed sides of the wall with said backing members urging each washer into firm engagement against opposed sides so as to minimize tearing at the points of connection of the fastening screws.

5. In a tent having walls defined by upright gable ends and generally upright sides, the combination of a plulength in relation to said horizontal extension to regulate rality of Wall suspension units adapted for disposition at each end and in spaced relation along the sides thereof, each unit comprising an upright wall support member dimensioned in accordance with the height of the ends and sides thereof, anchor means disposed in spaced relation to each wall support member, a guy line connected to said anchor means including a horizontal extension and an adjustable angular extension, a bottom fastener interconnecting the bottom of the tent and horizontal extension of said guy line including means to support the bottom of each support member, and a top fastening member projecting through the Wall of said tent for connection to each angular extension with reinforcing means carried by each fastening screw and said reinforcing means including a rubberlike Washer and a backing member disposed on each side of the Wall With the backing member urging the washer into firm engagement with the tent wall.

6. For use in the erection of tents and the like according to claim 3, said angular extension being adjustable in the relative length of said angular extension in accordance with the outward pulling force required to support the tent in upright position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 579,373 Wolbrecht Mar. 23, 1897 1,825,183 Frisby Sept. 29, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS 82,889 Norway Dec. 14, 1953 209,123 Switzerland June 1, 1940 

